As ecommerce companies try to meet the dearth of feet on the ground and wheels on the road, the pressure is building on delivery boys.Richa Maheshwari&Chandralekha Mukerji | ET Bureau | Updated: December 29, 2015, 17:00 IST

As ecommerce companies try to meet the dearth of feet on the ground and wheels on the road, the pressure is building on these workers. Bengaluru: As Indians increasingly switch to online retail, ecommerce is booming. But that’s also meant pressure building up on the last-mile link—those who need to get the packages to customers on the bikes. These delivery workers have become a fixture of India’s urban landscape, balancing their bulging carrier bags and manoeuvring through heavy traffic. Some of them say it’s killing their backs.

That’s why a 24-year-old eKart worker is having second thoughts about his sought-after job. “Initially, money was the motivation. However, now the job is taking a toll on my health,” he said.

Of his monthly Rs 12,000 salary, Rs 2,000 goes on lower lumbar treatment. “I carry about 30 kg to 40 kg on my shoulders six days a week and travel for about 40 km to 50 km a day,” he said. The man plans to quit his two-year-old job at the logistics arm of Flipkart.

As ecommerce companies try to meet the dearth of feet on the ground and wheels on the road, the pressure is building on these workers. “In my office alone, about 20 people have left because of this health issue,” said a 26-year-old eKart delivery man, who has been working with the company for the last two years and is facing similar challenges.

To be sure, the issue doesn’t arise when vans are used to deliver goods, such as Amazon does in some urban areas. But the chaos of India’s roads means bikes are usually the only way companies can deliver quickly and cheaply.

According to a PwC report, by 2020, online retail in India is expected to account for 3% of total retail. Further, orders per million are expected to more than double from five million in 2013 to 12 million by 2016. While this will mean more opportunities for ecommerce companies, delivery staff will have to ensure goods reach buyers in time.

Ecommerce companies said they’re not aware of any consistent feedback from riders to this effect.

“As of now, we have received no such complaints from any of our delivery staff. We support our staff with benefits like medical and insurance cover in case of emergencies,” said Neeraj Aggarwal, senior director, last-mile operations, Flipkart, the eKart arm of which has about 15,000 delivery staff.

Amazon declined to comment when asked whether any of their delivery workers have complained about back trouble as the reason for quitting or underperformance. Although startups offer flexible timings, most delivery staff end up working for 10-12 hours a day to earn a decent monthly income.

According to doctors, any regular biker is bound to face back trouble in the long run because of the riding posture. The issue gets aggravated when large carrier bags are added to the equation.

“On average, we have at least four to five boys coming every month to us with back problems,” said Ramneek Mahajan, director, orthopaedics and joint replacement, Saket City Hospital in Delhi. “Our first advice is to stop carrying weight completely and, if possible, to find an alternative job.”

Riders face the risk of degenerative disc disease or facet joint hypertrophy. “Such problems in a regular bike rider show up between the age of 40 and 45 years. These boys will start facing issues at least five-seven years earlier,” said Vasudev Prabhu, consultant orthopaedic surgeon, Apollo Hospitals.

There’s also a motor safety aspect that remains unaddressed. Automobile experts said bikes are not made to be used as a carrier vehicles and a rider should not be carrying more than 7 kg of weight. “It affects the ergonomics of the bike. This puts not only the biker but other people on the road at risk of accidents,” said Abdul Majeed, partner at PwC. There are no laws guiding the maximum amount of weight a bike should carry, besides load violations in India aren’t just restricted to this segment alone.

However, some delivery workers say it’s all a matter of finding the right riding balance.

“There is way of carrying the backpack on the bike,” said Saravanan B, who has been delivering for the last two and a half years, “If one keeps the backpack on the seat of the bike and not put the weight on his shoulder, then there won't be any back issue.”

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